Site authored/edited and moderated by the Bangladesh based anti-establishment jazz-rock-fusion musician Maqsoodul Haque (Mac) in his continued research into the Bauls of Bengal, and connecting it to the universal quest for salvation from despair, a quest into the inner unfathomable depths of the complex creature called mAN? Bauliana was released as a book in Bangladesh on the 4th June 2007
To contact Mac: machaque@gmail.com
Jah Bauliana /\

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Thank you very much for sharing the link. It has refreshed my old readings of Aroj Ali Matubbar's works which I first stumbled upon quite by accident in 1990. Indeed he was the most brilliant 19th Century folk philosophers that Bangladesh was blessed with. Interestingly even somebody as ‘secular’ as Bangabandu had his works proscribed, for it was feared that they may contribute to social disorder in the newly independent nation.

First of all please forgive my imprudence to point out that there is no such word as ‘sUFISM’. In the Islamic tenet it is Ilm e Tussawuf – which is intrinsic and complementary with Ilm-e-Sharia. We cannot acknowledge one without a thorough and unbiased understanding of the other – as that would be a gross error of judgment.

Ultimately we will not be judged for our time in life (or lifetime) by whether we were good or bad, right or wrong, ‘moral or immoral’ – not even whether we were just or unjust. If at all, we will only be judged for our INTENTIONS. One reason I have stayed clear away from from the forum you mention since 2004 is because I find many who write there have 'intentions' that are neither pure nor pristine. I trust you get the drift!

I beg to differ on the word ‘Korbani’ – for in the kORANic text the words is ‘zabah’. With that it is not meant ‘slaughter’ – but to violently shed off what is inherent in creating a sOUL which is free from any form of bias, hatred, evil thoughts – and importantly murder of any lifeforms.

By that is meant as I have learnt from my long association with the sHADHUs and fAKIRs– there are no clear or specific directive/s in any religious text whether they be Shonaton, Buddhist, Abrahamic, Judaic, Christianity or Islam – that an animal or life form has to be slaughtered just to ‘appease’ gOD and nowhere does it say it is a rite that is 'obligatory on all wealthy Muslims to perform each year'.

I have challenged several reputed Ulema’s and Alems (Islamic theologians) on e-forums to cite me one verse that disputes my contentions. Their deafening silence on the issue, confirms that I was right - because there is no such thing in the text.

Also if we are to believe the kORANic injunction ‘follow the Messengers’ – then the statement of jESUS would be in conflict with the kORAN and indeed mUHAMMAD’s stated position as in the kORAN – making him appear a hypocrite. Pointedly, how could mUHAMMAD have said such a thing if he was not following messengers from pre-aBRAHAMIC times – and how could he expect mankind to follow him – if he was not following his immediate predecessor i.e jESUS -in the monotheistic faith?

These are questions that have no answers – because nowhere did Muhammad say ‘follow Hadith’ – if at all true, as some Hadith say, he apparently said ‘follow the kORAN if you wish to know me or aLLAH’. In all probability – he said nothing!

If I may be impertinent, as far as the kORAN is concerned aBRAHAM's attempted 'sacrifice ' (slaughter) of his son – was an ‘act of faith’ – and iSHMAEL being replaced by a lamb – I believe was NOT an 'act of gOD' for the Muslim gOD aLLAH simply cannot physically intervene in acts of mAN. If he did so, that would be going against the basic belief and tenet in aLLAH as in the kORAN i.e. he is sexless, formless, sightless etc, etc – indeed anything that is referred to him resembling humans or human actions – is ‘shirek’ – sacrilege/digression.

So it is very likely that a human shocked at the sight of what aBRAHAM was attempting (and there are no confirmations that the act occurred in public) – quickly replaced iSHMAEL with a lamb – which the blindfolded aBRAHAM , ‘blinded’ also by his love of gOD - could have well misconstrued as ‘divine intervention’.

For 'blind followers' of Islam, what is not known is their religion permits no space for superstitions and gOD intervening physically in the affairs of mAN. However that anonymous human who saved iSHMAEL MUST be credited for his bold actions - else human slaughter and cannibalism is what we would have certainly inherited had aBRAHAM succeeded. Possibly gOD ‘accepted’ that one innocent lamb and was ‘appeased’ – that ensured the denial of a slaughter of the ‘flock’ – with humans not being exempt.

The only thing gODly about humans is the sOUL, or rOOHu – which is 'energy' and science, confirms that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. If we are to believe in the lofty principals of Ashraful Maklukat – or humans are the best of gODs ‘creation’ - then I trust the only thing 'holy’ about us is our sOUL. sOUL again is insight and we can only do justice in our times in life – if we constantly keep nourishing and turn our 'insight into foresight'. A sOUL tainted with filth will lose its capacity to reason and can conceivably never find ‘salvation’ – whatever that word means!

Ultimately our belief is limited to our faculty of knowledge and ‘intelligence’. But there is also such a word called ‘Extelligence’ i.e. mA’AREFOT or mA'ARIFA (previously termed gnosis) – is essentially knowledge beyond the ordinary and mundane: let us call it supra-mundane. mA’AREFOT in Bangladesh is the practice of Extelligence in its purest form.

The presence of unsung philosophers and sAGES like fAKIR Lalon sHAH - to Aroj Ali Matubbor in our heritage reconfirms my long held conviction that the toiling mass of Bangladesh are 'genetically' mA’AREFOTi – and thus we openly and naturally resist the Salafist/Wahabist – onslaught, incursion and misinterpretation of Islam which regrettably is considered ‘mainstream Islam’ in Bangladesh.

On the issue of gOD asking mOSES to ‘sacrifice’ his eyes, I find a befitting song from fAKIR Lalon sHAH to explain where Aroj Ali Matubbor possibly missed:

To end – my final equation of ‘Korbani’ or ‘Zabah’ however is interpreted in Lord bUDDHAs nIRVANA exclamation “it has left me, it has left me”.

He never ‘attained’ anything called nIRVANA – indeed what happened was he worked and disposed of all worldly binds that tied him down to being a 'mere human'. Once that done – he was prepared for ‘pari-nIRVANA’ or 'ultimate nIRVANA' - death as we call it.

Little did it matter that he was poisoned and allowed the poison to consume him for weeks – till it (the poison) consumed itself and left his body free to embrace Tirodhaan - departure.

2 comments:

PentasonicTone, UK
said...

I am thankful to the writer that I had the opportunity to read this blog. I am taking an opportunity to Cite the Koranic and Biblical references for Kurbani.

In the Koran it is mentioned in Surah As Sifat ( Surah no 37 )from Verses 102 to 108Verse: 102:And, when he ( Ibrahim's son) was old enough to walk with him ( Ibrahim), he(Ibrahim) said: 'Oh, my son, I have seen a Dream that I am slaughtering you ( offering a sacrifice) for Allah. So look what do you think!' He ( Ibrahim'son) said: 'Oh, my Father! Do that which you are commanded. If Allah wills (Insallah), you shall find me having patience ( sabirun)!'Verse: 103: Thus,when, They both had submitted themselves ( to the Will of Allah) and he ( Ibrahim) had laid him( his son) prostrate on his Forhead ( or in the side of forheadin the intention for slaughtering).Verse: 104: I ( Allah) called him out: 'Yo, Ibrahim!Verse: 105: You have fulfilled the Dream!Verily, thus, I do reward to the good-doers ( muhsinin)!Verse: 106: Verily, that was indeed a manifestation Trial!Verse: 107: And, I (Allah) ransomed him with a great sacrifice ( a ram).Verse: 108: And, I (Allah) left for him ( Ibrahim) a good remembrance among later Generations!'

Abraham sets out to obey God's command without questioning but does not state in front of Isaac that he is the intended sacrifice (Genesis 22:5 and 22:8). Afterward, Isaac is bound to an altar, the angel of God stops Abraham at the last minute, saying "now I know you fear God." At this point Abraham sees a ram caught in some nearby bushes and sacrifices the ram in Isaac's instead

Reference Chapter 22, Verse 5 and 8

The Book of Genesis

Chapter 22, Verse 14'The incident took place in the 'Mount of Lord'. In Chronicles 3:1; Psalm 24:3; Isaiah 2:3 & 30:29; and Zechariah 8:3, the Bible seems to identify the location of this event as the hill on which Solomon was said to later build the Temple, now known as the 'Temple Mount' in Jerusalem.